Free and inexpensive vocabulary development Internet sites. Also--video games and vocabulary development ideas.

1. Vocabulary Learning: Formative
Assessment and Online Gaming
Practice with Free or
Inexpensive Digital Resources
Lee Ann Tysseling, Ph.D.
ltysseling@boisestate.edu
www.delicious.com/BSULee
www.pinterest.com/leeanntysseling/
www.slideshare.net/LeeAnnTysseling/
https://twitter.com/Read2LiveLee
Boise State University
Celebrate Literacy!
NW Regional NCTE Conference
March 1, 2014
Portland, Oregon

2. Today we will:
 Review three online resources for
formative assessment
 Explore free or inexpensive
resources for vocabulary
development
 Look at website/apps review sources

3. Before We Begin:
Principles of Vocabulary
Development
 Wide reading
 Teaching individual words
 Teaching strategies for learning words
independently
 Fostering word consciousness
Stahl, S.A. & Nagy, W.E. (2006).
Teaching Word Meanings.
Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum

4. A Second Look: In the
Classroom
 What Works:
 Differentiation
 Wide reading
 Explicit teaching of
concept critical
words
 Exploring words as
they are met
 Multiple exposures
over time
 Inter-lesson cohesion
 Returning again and
again to new words
that have been
discussed
 What Does Not
Work:
 Copying out
definitions
 Memorizing
definitions for a
weekly test
 Context clues
(except for the
most able readers)
 Supplementary
vocabulary
programs (except
for the most
motivated learners)

5. The Latest: NAEP Report
 Vocabulary and Reading comprehension are
strongly linked at all grade levels!
 http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?
pubid=2013452

6. Assessment of Vocabulary
Knowledge
 The Problem: We don’t have any good assessments
of vocabulary knowledge.
 Pearson, P. D., Hiebert, E. H., Kamil, M. L. (2007). Vocabulary
assessment: What we know and what we need to learn.
Reading Research Quarterly 42(2): 282-296.
 Scott, J. A., Hoover, M. Flinspach, S. & Vevea, J. (2008). A
multiple-level vocabulary assessment tool: Measuring word
knowledge based on grade-level materials. 57th Annual
Yearbook of the National Reading Conference. V. R. Y.
Kim, D. Compton, D. Dickinson, M. Hundley, R. Jimenez, K.
Leander, D. Rowe. Oak Creek, WI, National Reading
Conference. 57: 325-340.
 Some may be in the works
 Word Generation Project www.wordgeneration.org
 VINE Project (Vocabulary Innovations in Education)
www.vineconsortium.org

7. Assessment is complex

Any multiple-choice test that tries to capture
student word knowledge is likely to fall short
of that goal. Assessing word knowledge may
seem simple, just as acquiring word
knowledge may seem simple at first blush.
But words are intertwined with experiences
and background knowledge, can be used
literally or figuratively, occur in idioms and
with multiple meanings, and have nuanced
meanings in different contexts. Assessment
of word knowledge is not an easy task.

Scott, Hoover, Flinspach & Vevea, 2008, p. 336

8. While We Wait
 Possible formative assessment solutions:
 www.vocabulary.com
 www.freerice.org
 www.visualthesaurus.com

9. www.vocabulary.com
 General vocabulary development or specific




word lists
Adaptive learning—adjusts to success or lack
there of
Spaced repetition
Varied questions & contexts
Game-based learning
 Badges and awards
 Teachers have access to tracking tools

11. Vocabulary.com

25. Free Rice

30. VocabGrabber (Visual Thesaurus)

34. VocabGrabber Data Possibilities
Vocabulary variety: Different Words over Total Words
Name
9/27
10/27
LeeAnn
188/447
42%
Jenny
255/739
34%
Zuricha
155/403
38%
NY
Times
353/724
11/27
49%
Vocabulary Qualitative: Inspection (count) of “Rare Words”
Name
9/27
10/27
LeeAnn
38/447
8%
Jenny
10/739
1%
Zuricha
30/403
7%
Alphose
25/542
5%
11/27

35. Vocabulary/Spelling City

36. Summary: Formative Assessments
 Vocabulary.com: Points—can report directly
to teacher (for a fee)
 Free Rice: Level Number—students must
report to you
 VocabGrabber:
 Qualitative lists of vocabulary used—laborious
 Percentage of “different” words over total
words
 Vocabulary/Spelling City

37. Digital Dictionary Resources
 Word Consciousness: Notice and explore
unfamiliar words








E-reader look-ups
www.visualthesaurus.com or www.vocabulary.com
www.wordnik.com
www.yourdictionary.com
www.onelook.com
www.wiktionary.com (or wikipedia)
Merriam Webster on-line
www.refdesk.com
 “other” link for dictionaries
 Rhyme Zone

38. Gaming
 Many students passionate gamers
 69% of all heads of household play computer
and video games.
 97% of youth play computer and video games.
 61% of CEOs, CFOs, and other senior
executives say they take daily game breaks at
work (p. 11).
McGonigal, J. (2011). Reality is broken: Why games make us
better and how they can change the world. New York,
Penguin Group Incorporated.
 Work from the known to the unknown!

39. Evaluating Quality of Games
 Adaptive: gets harder or easier with success
or failure
 Substantive Feedback: learn as you go
 Varied—new contexts/new clues
 Repetition: incorrect words are recycled

40. Review Sources for
Games/Apps
 Apps for Students with Special Needs:
http://a4cwsn.com/
 Common Sense Media:
http://www.commonsensemedia.org/
 David O’Brien & Richard Beach:
 http://www.appsforlearningliteracies.com
 http://usingipads.pbworks.com
 For Younger Literacy Learners:
 http://www.mrandrewsonline.blogspot.co.uk/

41. Some Recommendations
 Vocabulary.com
 Free Rice
 Rootonym (Merriam-Webster)--morphemes
 Crossword Puzzles:

USA Today easier & provides clues
 Learning Network (New York Times)—designed
for schools
 Smart Crossword—designed for language
delayed learners
 Mission-us.org
 History with emphasis of vocabulary

42. Rootonym

46. USA Today Crossword

56. Or Leverage the Games Students
Play Already

61. Warning!
 Our students are sophisticated consumers of
games
 Evaluate games before you recommend them
 There are many “chewing gum” games
 Give explicit attention to the learning goals
you have for the game!
 Model your thinking process as you are
gaming
 Devote some classroom time to discussion of
learning
 Consider a bookmark reminder
 Metacognition and Metadiscourse are
important!

62. Join Our Community
 Word Travelers: Using Digital Tools to Explore
Vocabulary and Develop Independent Learners
 Tysseling, 2012. Stenhouse Publishers
 http://dictionaryteacher.pbworks.com
 This presentation
 Links
 Discussions
 Lesson ideas (socially constructed—add your own!)
 Online Courses this Summer—See Lee Ann
 Advanced Content Literacy (CCSS emphasis) in 3-D
Gamelab
 Literacy and Technology